


Staying Good

by SailorChibi



Series: evil steve verse [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Play, Baby!Tony, Carrying, Cribs, Cuddling, Daddy!Steve, Diapers, Embarrassment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Evil Steve Rogers, Gen, Hydra Cap, Hydra Steve Rogers, Infantilism, Mind Manipulation, Pacifiers, Platonic Cuddling, Possessive Steve Rogers, Punishment, Rescue Missions, Self-Esteem Issues, Stockholm Syndrome, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, bottles, broken Tony Stark, except steve's idea of protection is insanely sketchy, forced age play, forced baby tony, he just wants to rest and be loved, is it a rescue if tony doesn't know if he wants to be rescued?, mentions of spanking, non consesual infantilism, non sexual age play, non sexual infantilism, non-consesual age play, protect tony stark, rescued twice over, seriously steve WTF, sketchy like nobody's business, starting with tony stark, steve rogers does not like it when people take what belongs to him, steve rogers takes over the world, the stockholm syndrome is strong in this one, tony stark does not want to be hurt anymore, tony stark feels like a failure, tony stark is tired, tony stark just wanted to be loved, warning dark and twisted story ahead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-02 07:49:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11504919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorChibi/pseuds/SailorChibi
Summary: During an attack on Steve's base, two SHIELD agents come across and "rescue" the MIA, long thought dead, Tony Stark.Only problem is, Tony isn't so sure he wanted to be rescued. SHIELD's pressure on him to suit up is huge, and after eighteen months in captivity, all a baby really wants is his daddy...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was delighted when someone commissioned a sequel for this verse. A chance to play in the hydra/evil Steve verse with non-con NSAP and Tony being forcibly cared for? Sign me up!

The punishment playpen is cold and sterile. There are no toys, no soft blankets, nothing to take Tony's mind off the coming punishment. All he can do is curl up in a corner of the pen and bury his face in his bare knees, wondering why he decided to throw his bottle at Daddy. Wondering why, just as Daddy decided that Tony could go for a little while without mitts covering his hands, he would ruin the progress that they've made. The mitts on his hands right now - plain grey, not the cute mitts that Daddy and the Soldier usually put on - feel unusually heavy as a result.

This is all Tony's fault. He wishes so much that he could go back in time and just drink the bottle. But he doesn't like the chalky formula Daddy's started giving him, and it just seemed like such a good idea at the time to throw the bottle away! He didn't mean to throw it at Daddy! His stomach sank straight through the floor when the nipple came off and the formula splattered all over Daddy's uniform and face. Daddy looked so mad that Tony immediately started to cry, but his tears don't hold much sway over Daddy, and that's why he's here in the punishment playpen, waiting for Daddy to come back.

If Daddy comes back. Last time Tony was here for a full twenty-four hours because he wouldn't let the Soldier change his diaper. When Daddy came to get him, he spanked Tony until Tony was bawling and then made him go without a diaper for another two days. Because Tony's a baby, that meant he peed and messed himself a lot. Tony's face burns as he remembers some of the Hydra agents that had pointed at him and laughed - he's not sure whether their amusement was because of his red bottom or his hairless winky, but the mocking had struck deep.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," he whispers out loud, but he knows that apologies don't matter. Not right now. Later, after Tony's been suitably punished, he'll get the chance to apologize and Daddy will give him all the cuddles in the world and tell Tony that he's not angry anymore. It's what Tony has to go through first that makes his tummy hurt with fear.

He flinches as the door to the playpen opens and Daddy steps inside. He's changed out of his soiled uniform and cleaned himself up. His face is set into a cold, blank expression, not the usual smile that he wears just for Tony, and he crosses his arms. "You've been a bad baby, Tony. Daddy is very unhappy with you. You know better than to throw things. I'm starting to wonder if we need to put your arms back into your restraints for a while."

"No, Daddy, please!" Tony whines, unable to bear the thought of wearing the restrictive jacket again. It folded his arms across his tummy and meant that he was completely helpless. He wore it a lot when he first came to Daddy; Daddy used to say that it made him as helpless as a newborn baby. Tony can remember very well how humiliating that jacket used to be. At least with the mitts, he can still crawl and grab things, albeit clumsily. He has a little control. He doesn't want to go back to being a newborn.

Daddy's expression darkens. "Did you just say no to me, young man?"

Oh god. Tony's messing up left, right and center today. How could he have forgotten Daddy's number one rule? Tony is never allowed to say no. He bites his lip, uncertain how to answer. "I... Daddy, I'm sorry," he finally sobs. 

"I don't believe you, Tony. I think you're only sorry because you know Daddy's upset with you and you don't want to be punished. Well, let me tell you that before the day is out you really are going to be a sorry baby. I think you've been getting a little too much freedom. You're getting the jacket back, and I'm going to ask the Soldier to wear the harness."

Tony cringes. The only thing worse than the jacket is that stupid harness. It was designed to hook into the back or front of the jacket so that Tony can be carried against Daddy's or the Soldier's chest or back. It's even more humiliating to be carried against their chests with his face exposed to the world because it means he has to see how everyone looks at him. The mocking smiles. The pity. He shakes his head, his lower lip trembling, but doesn't dare say no again. There are lots of other things that Daddy could do, like the pacifier gag or going back to changing Tony's diaper in front of everyone. He doesn't want to push his luck.

"But that's after a spanking," Daddy goes on. "You told me no twice today, and you threw your bottle at me."

"Please..." Tony whispers, but there's nothing really left for him to say and he can tell the plea has fallen on deaf ears. He doesn't fight as Daddy walks over to him and picks him up, hanging limply in Daddy's arms. They walk out of the room and down the hall. The air cools as they walk and Tony shivers again, wishing he could cuddle into Daddy's chest the way he usually does when he's cold.

They walk into a small room off of Daddy's office. Tony is immeasurably grateful that he's not being spanked in the cafeteria or out in the training yard again. He stays quiet as Daddy sits down and he is turned over Daddy's knee. Cool air hits his bottom as Daddy removes his diaper, and he can't help tensing up even though he knows that'll just make Daddy hit that much harder. He stares down at the ground and focuses on trying not to cry too soon, because Daddy will get mad if he thinks that Tony is faking it.

"You know why you're getting this spanking, Tony. I'm very disappointed in you and I think -"

The alarm that goes off cuts off the rest of Daddy's sentence. For a moment, Daddy is quiet. Then he starts swearing. He pulls Tony's diaper back up and sets Tony on the ground - gently, but without his usual care - and storms through the door and into his office. Even though he shuts the door behind him, Tony stays where he is, frozen, as he listens to Daddy start yelling. He can't make out the words between the closed door and the alarm, but the tone is all too clear. Daddy's pissed off and that means trouble.

He jumps when the door swings open again. Daddy steps out, now looking harried. "I'm going to send the Soldier to you," he says to Tony. "Don't leave this room until he comes for you, understand?"

Confused, Tony nods. He wants to ask what's going on, but Daddy runs out of the room before he can. Tony watches the lock turn behind Daddy and finally starts to cry, though he can barely hear the sound of his own sobs over the ear-splitting alarm that's still going off. He doesn't like the alarm, and he really wants Daddy to make it stop.

But it doesn't stop. And the Soldier doesn't come.

Until finally, suddenly, the alarm shuts off. It takes Tony a few seconds to register that the horrible sound has stopped because his ears are ringing. He rubs at his ears, wincing, and freezes when he realizes that he can hear something else. It's the sound of people in Daddy's office.

That's a big no-no. The only people allowed in Daddy's office are Daddy and the Soldier or, very rarely, Coulson. None of those voices match what Tony can hear. He shrinks back against the wall, shooting a panicked look at the door. Daddy didn't lock the door between this room and his office, but he locked the door to the hallway. Tony can't get out. He's trapped. He puts a mittened hand over his mouth to hold in a terrified whimper.

" - just grab it and go!" someone hisses. They sound like they're doing a bad job of trying to keep quiet. Tony flinches, heart racing, as someone throws open the door to the room he's in.

"Are you kidding me?! We're in Rogers's private office and you want to bail? This could be our one and only chance to actually get the intel we need. I'm not leaving until I've explored every... possible... avenue..." The woman's voice trails off.

Tony doesn't even want to look up, but he can't help it. He has to know what's going on. He risks a quick peek and realizes that the woman and man are both dressed in sleek black uniforms that look vaguely familiar, and there's no mistaking the familiar crest they both wear on their shoulders. They're from SHIELD. His heart starts pounding even harder because Daddy's going to be _so mad_.

"What the fuck?" the man agent says, staring at Tony. "Who the hell is -"

"Oh my god," the woman says, cutting him off.

"What?"

"It's Stark."

The name feels odd in relation to Tony. He knows that they're talking about him, but it doesn't feel like it. The last person who called him that was Barton and that has to have been months ago; no one else has called him Stark since Daddy brought him here. It's always "Tony" or a nickname like "baby", sweetheart" or "honey", especially if Daddy's in a good mood. Tony Stark feels like someone who died a long time ago, and now there's just Tony. Daddy's baby boy.

"What?" the man says again, taking a step closer. Tony flinches, pressing himself back against the wall. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is! I'm telling you. Look!" The woman pulls out a phone and taps briefly on the screen, then shows it to the man. They both stare at the screen for several long seconds, then at Tony. Then back at the screen, then back at Tony. The scrutiny is terrifying and tears start rolling down Tony's cheeks. He drops his mittened hand and the man swears loudly.

"You're right! Holy shit. Holy _shit_. Fury is going to bust a nut. Everyone thinks he's dead. Hey!" He looks at Tony. "Everyone thinks you're dead!"

Tony whimpers.

"You're scaring him, asshole." The woman elbows the man sharply. "Knock it off."

"It's Stark. He's not scared of anything!"

"Yeah, well, why don't you spend over a year with Steve Rogers and then we can see how scared you are?" the woman hisses, glaring at her partner. "Obviously something isn't right with him. Rogers must have done something. Who knows what Stark has been through?"

The man deflates. "You're right. We can't just leave him here."

"Fury would kill us," the woman says, nodding. "Hold this." She shoves the bag in her arms at her partner. "Stark - Tony, listen. We're friends. You need to come with us."

"No," Tony says, because he doesn't think Daddy will be mad for using that word right now.

"Yes. Come on now." She takes a step towards him.

"No! Daddy!" Tony starts to scream. "Daddy! Soldier! Help -" He cries out when the woman jumps him, trying to bat her away. But his blows are pathetically weak and she looks she barely feels them. She shoves him to the ground and climbs on top of him, yanking his hands behind his head. The position puts a lot of uncomfortable pressure on the arc reactor and Tony stops screaming, starts crying silently instead.

"Get over here," the woman snarls. "Help me!"

The man sets the bag down and hurries over. Tony struggles even harder, but they're so strong and he tires quickly. He goes limp, sobbing, as something sharp pricks him in the neck. A wave of cold spreads out from the prickly feeling and he starts to get really tired. His heart rate starts to slow and the woman lets go of his hands. They flop silently to his sides instead of responding to Tony's commands to shove them both away.

"Fury is never going to believe this," the man says. "Wait, is that a fucking _diaper_?!"

The sheer disgust and derision in his voice are the last things that Tony hears before he passes out.


	2. Chapter 2

"So tell me, Mr. Stark. How are you feeling today?"

Tony stares at the floor rather than look at the woman sitting across from him. He doesn't say a word. 

"Are you feeling good?" she persists. "Sad? Angry? Unhappy?"

He peeks at her without lifting his head. She's very pretty, with dark hair wound up into a bun and grey eyes. Even though Tony doesn't speak to her or participate in the activities she sets up, she never gets angry or yells at him for not communicating. She'll just sit there across from him for a solid hour, one leg folded across the other, hands clasped loosely in her lap. 

Sometimes they sit in silence. Sometimes she’ll brings out crayons and blank sheets of paper in an effort to get him to color, or she’ll bring out colorful shapes to try to tempt him into building something. Others time, like today, she'll try to get him to talk. The end result is the same as its been for the past week and a half: their twice daily sessions end with Tony not responding and the therapist heaving a deep sigh and then slipping out.

"You can talk to me, you know. This is a safe space for the both of us. I won't repeat anything you say outside of these four walls. Whatever you tell me is completely confidential."

Yeah right. Tony's not dumb enough to fall for that. He knows Fury and Hill are watching right now, and god only knows how many SHIELD agents have joined them. His presence at the facility didn’t stay secret for very long; every agent wants to see the presumed dead, M.I.A. Tony Stark. At one time it wouldn’t have been too bad, and Tony could’ve dealt with the attention.

But now all this attention makes Tony's insides shrivel up because he's not the person they want to see, not really. And he doesn't know how to go back to being that person anymore. He doesn’t even know if he wants to.

"Do you miss your daddy?"

That question is unexpected enough that Tony's head actually jerks up. He stares at her in surprise. She smiles back. 

"It's okay," she says in that gentle, unassuming voice. "You can miss him."

Tony's chin quivers. He's been at the SHIELD facility for ten days. In those ten days, numerous people have tried to explain to him that Daddy - that _Steve_ kidnapped him. That Tony was tortured. They trotted stock phrases like "stockholm syndrome" and "brainwashing" and "infantilization". All of the words go right over Tony's head. All he knows is that when he first came here, they took away his diaper and his soft clothes and gave him boxers and rough jeans that chafed at his legs. He knows he wet himself four times the first day and then messed himself that night before someone gave him a pull-up to wear instead, and that the pull-up isn’t as comforting as a diaper.

He knows that he didn't eat anything for three days because Tony hasn't fed himself since he went to live with Daddy; Daddy and the Soldier feed him his bottles and anything else they want him to have. If it doesn't come from their hands, Tony is not allowed to eat it. He knows that he spills water all down his front every time he tries to drink something because they won't give him a bottle or a sippy cup, and that he's developing a bad rash on his genitals, bottom and thighs because the person who helps him to change takes hours to come.

He knows that Fury interrogated him for hours on at least five different occasions: the first time, he demanded information on Daddy, the Soldier, Natalia, Coulson, Clint Barton, the general state of Hydra, Daddy again, Pepper, Rhodey, the Soldier again, and then Daddy for the third time. Tony broke down into tears sometime around the questions about Barton, but that didn't stop Fury from asking his questions. He practically turned purple when someone - Tony's not sure who - made him leave the room. Then Tony was left alone for a long time before an agent he doesn't know led him to this room, and he hasn't left since.

The little bell goes off, signifying the end of their time. The therapist sighs. "That's the end of our time for now. I'll be back later this afternoon, okay?"

Tony drops his gaze rather than answer, blinking back tears. He's so tired. He doesn't sleep at night. He has a bed, but no crib. And it's hard to sleep without the comforting bars around him. He keeps waking up thinking something is going to attack him. He doesn't have any of his stuffed animals, and his pull-up overflows if he's not careful. And he can’t shake the feeling of being watched. 

Plus, he isn’t getting his naps. Daddy insists that he sleep for at least an hour at 10am and 3pm every day. It was hard at first because Tony wasn’t used to sleeping that much, but now his body is used to the extra sleep. But if he tries to sleep during the day right now, an agent will come in and stand there talking at him until he sits up again. The one time he refused to acknowledge the agent, he got pulled off his bed and forced to stand up.

The truth is, Tony hates it here. He hates the fact that Fury looks at him with disappointment every time Tony starts to cry. He hates the way the SHIELD agents stare and whisper whenever the door is open. He hates the clothing that they make him wear. He hates the way that the therapist always talks down to him, like he’s too stupid to understand her questions.

But most of all, he hates himself for _not_ being happy that he’s been rescued.

“Here you go, Mr. Stark. I’ve brought your lunch for you. A sandwich and some cut up fruit.” The SHIELD agent that walks in isn’t someone Tony’s seen before. He can't help eyeing her warily. Some of the agents aren’t very nice, but this one kneels down and patiently feeds him half the sandwich in little bits, as well as some of the fruit. He eats without argument, even though he doesn’t like the taste of mayonnaise or kiwi.

"Maria, here you are! Why are you wasting your time with this?" Another SHIELD agent pokes her head in the door. 

"Dana, that's enough," Maria says sharply, dabbing at a corner of Tony's mouth with a napkin. She crumbles it up and drops it on top of the fruit, evidently deciding that Tony has had enough.

"What? It's the truth. Rumor is that Stark's finally gone round the deep end," Dana says, folding her arms and looking over Tony with a sneer on her face. "Mark heard Fury talking about how useless he is now. Rogers completely destroyed his brain. He can't be Iron Man or make weapons."

Tony stops breathing. Make weapons? That's what he originally thought Daddy wanted. He remembers huddling in a corner of the cell and promising himself that he would never build weapons no matter what Daddy did to him. It was a complete (and unwelcome) surprise when Daddy started making him into a baby instead. As terrible as that was, at least it wasn't weapons production. It was a thought Tony held onto many nights to keep himself sane.

"They've got him in therapy. He might get better someday."

"Yeah, right. You don't recover from whatever it is that Hydra does to you. I mean, _look_ at him." There's a pause where both women stare at him. One expression filled with disgust, the other rife with pity. Tony can't decide who he hates more.

Finally, Maria shrugs and stand up with the tray. "Maybe you're right. But they can't just let him go, either. We need to keep him away from Rogers. You know, I heard we actually won a battle against him and seized a hide-out two days ago. They're keeping it on the down low, but I think they got some valuable intel. Rogers is losing his mind."

"Tell me more," Dana says. They walk out of the room together, deep in discussion. The door swings shut behind them.

Their disappointment, even from people he doesn't know, weighs heavily on Tony's heart. All he wants is to be good. That's all he ever wanted. But no matter how hard he tried, it seems like he was always doing something wrong. Howard, Maria, Jarvis, Peggy, Pepper, Rhodey, the Avengers… Tony’s disappointed all of them and it makes him want to claw his skin off in frustration sometimes.

But then Daddy came. Daddy was the first person who laid out concrete rules that showed him _how_ to be good. It was still a long time before Tony could accept that there was comfort in knowing exactly what he had to do to be considered a good boy, but now he craves it. Punishment is terrible and horrifying, but Tony doesn’t have to struggle to figure out what to do to be forgiven. Because once he’s punished, all is forgiven and forgotten and Daddy hugs him and kisses him.

He doesn't know what to do here. He doesn’t know how to be good. The things they’re asking of him – be Tony Stark again, be Iron Man again: put on all those masks and throw money around and work himself to the bone for a sliver of gratitude – feel like they’re impossible to achieve even if he wanted to… and he’s not sure that he does want to. But does he have a choice? What’s the alternative?

Escape is the first option that comes to mind, but how? They never let him out of this room, and he's pretty sure he's watched constantly. Not to mention, Tony can't even walk. Daddy and the Soldier carry him everywhere he goes. The last time he tried to walk, he only got a couple of steps before his legs gave out and he fell to the floor. He can crawl, but that's not going to get him very far.

Unless Daddy comes to get him... and at this point, Tony has no idea how likely that is. He wants to believe that Daddy will come for him. But Tony was a bad boy. He threw his bottle at Daddy and then he left before receiving his punishment. Daddy has to be furious. So maybe Daddy doesn't want him anymore. The thought makes Tony's chest hurt. He sniffles as a few tears roll down his cheeks.

And he shouldn't want Daddy to come anyway! Two years ago, Tony would've been _thrilled_ if SHIELD had shown up to rescue him. He spent a lot of nights praying for that, even though Daddy told him repeatedly that it wouldn't happen (Daddy said that no one loved Tony as much as he did, so Tony was safer staying with Daddy). Tony was so sure, in the beginning, that Daddy was wrong and SHIELD, or someone else (anyone else), would come. 

Of course, no one did. No one ever comes to rescue Tony. Not really. He knew when he couldn’t escape from Daddy (despite multiple failed attempts) that he was screwed. Even this time around, SHIELD wasn't sent to rescue him: they'd just stumbled across him on another mission and decided to try crippling Daddy by removing Tony from the equation.

Joke’s on SHIELD, then. Tony is useless to everyone. He curls in on himself, dragging his legs up against his chest and pressing his face into his knees. The tears come hot and fast, streaming down his cheeks. Vaguely he registers the sound of the door opening again, but he doesn’t look up. He doesn’t want another therapy session or another SHIELD agent that stares with thinly veiled disgust. He wants… He wants…

“Tony?”

And Tony looks up, eyes wide in disbelief, stuttering out his first word in days: “R-Rhodey?”


	3. Chapter 3

Rhodey is really mad when he sees the stained t-shirt and shorts that Tony’s wearing, but that’s nothing compared to how he reacts when he peels Tony out of them and finds the soiled diaper underneath. His face does this weird twisty thing when he sees the rash, which has spread to Tony’s thighs and all across his bottom. It hurts a lot and Tony winces away when Rhodey reaches out to touch. 

Then, just as quickly, he freezes. Daddy and the Soldier don’t mind when Tony squirms during a diaper change so long as he isn’t actively trying to get away. Daddy just tickles his belly and says that babies are naturally squirmy, and then he says he’ll give Tony something to be squirmy about and blows raspberries on his belly until Tony’s screaming from laughter. They also don’t mind if he’s squirming from pain, whether it’s because of a freshly spanked bottom or the couple of times he’s had a rash.

But Tony can’t be sure that Rhodey feels that way. Maybe to Rhodey, squirming is a bad thing, especially since Tony was technically moving out of reach. So he goes very still and looks at Rhodey’s face, trying to assess whether he’s been a bad boy. Sometimes it seems like everything he does with SHIELD makes him bad. He doesn’t think that Rhodey will see him the same way, but Tony isn’t the person he used to be.

Rhodey takes a deep breath. “It’s okay, Tones,” he says. His voice is gentle, but there’s an undercurrent of anger. “I’m not mad at you. I’m just mad at the dumb people that you’ve been putting up with. That looks like it hurts. Does it hurt?”

It doesn’t sound like a trick question, so Tony nods. Because it does hurt, regardless of whether he’s sitting or standing. It especially hurts when the SHIELD nurses come to change his diaper, because none of them are as gentle as Daddy or the Soldier. They’re rough and most of them mutter under their breaths the whole time: the worst ones are actually the ones who are quiet. Those are the ones who leave bruises.

“Yeah, I bet it does. Okay. Can you just sit…” Rhodey trails off, looking at the mess caked onto Tony’s bottom, then closes his eyes briefly. “Here. Can you sit here for me for a minute, buddy? I’ll be right back.”

Tony nods again. He doesn’t mind being naked. He got a diaper rash once because his skin was too sensitive for the kind of diapers Daddy was using. He spent most of that week confined to the nursery because he was naked, since Daddy said he had to give his skin room to breathe. It meant an awful mess for the Soldier to clean up, but the Soldier never complained. He just sang to Tony a lot in Russian and stroked his hair.

Rhodey walks out of the room and shuts the door behind him. The walls aren’t completely soundproof so Tony can hear his voice raised in anger, though he can’t make out the exact words. He huddles in on himself and tries not to listen. He can take the yelling, but he’s not sure what other ramifications are going to be included. Maybe this is the point where someone punishes him because he can’t be what they want.

He waits for – he’s not even sure how long he waits, not daring to move even an inch, but it’s at least thirty minutes. Probably more. Then the door opens and Rhodey marches back in, followed by two nurses who won’t look at Tony. Rhodey comes over to the bed, a forced smile on his face.

“Let’s take a shower, okay? These nurses are going to change your bedding while we’re in the bathroom,” Rhodey says. 

A shower? Tony tries to conceal his disappointment. He misses taking baths with Daddy. Baths are special time, and not even the Soldier has ever given Tony one. Daddy always uses scented bubble bath – if Tony’s been good, he gets to pick out the scent – that turns the water all different colors, and he has special toys for Tony to play with. He always takes his time washing Tony and shampooing his hair (he’s always careful not to get water on Tony’s face. The first time that happened Tony went into a full-on flashback. When he came out of it, Daddy was hugging and whispering to him and looking so, _so_ angry, but not at Tony. Just on Tony’s behalf. It was a new feeling) and then, after the bath, Daddy rubs his whole body with lotion until Tony is a boneless puddle.

Here at SHIELD, he’s lucky to get a half-hearted rubdown with a wet cloth once or twice a week. They’ve told him repeatedly that the shower is just through the door on the opposite side of the room. No one seems to put together Tony’s use of diapers and his inability to walk or even stand for any decent period of time and come up with the idea that a shower may be out of the question. But for Rhodey, he’s willing to try.

He puts one foot down and then the other, letting Rhodey pull him up. He remains standing for approximately a minute, wavering unsteadily, before he takes a step and then another. His knees buckle after the third step, the muscles in his calves and thighs burning at the unfamiliar use, and he collapses. Rhodey catches him around the arms, stopping his fall.

“It’s okay,” he says, though the poorly concealed anger in his voice suggests it’s not. “Here, let me help you.” He half carries, half drags Tony into the bathroom. It’s a standing shower, Tony realizes with dismay, which means there’s no bathtub. It only takes Rhodey a second to catch on. He swears under his breath, the kind of language that Tony gets punished for.

“Those assholes. I can’t believe they’re not… this is how they treat you after everything you’ve done for them?” He’s practically shaking with anger as he guides Tony down onto the toilet, then sets about removing his own shirt and pants. He strips down to his boxers and switches the shower on.

“Alright, here we go. Lean on me,” Rhodey says, even though he’s already supporting all of Tony’s weight. The shower isn’t really big enough for both of them, especially when Tony can’t stand. He ends up sitting on the floor of the tub while Rhodey kneels outside and leans in, leaving the door open. Water gets everywhere but Rhodey doesn’t seem to care.

His touch is very gentle as he rinses Tony off, then lathers up some soap. He starts cleaning Tony off, and even manages a snort of amusement. “Last time I did this, you were nineteen and drunk off your ass,” he says with a wobbly smile. “Do you remember that?”

“Yes,” Tony whispers. It’s safe to speak here, when it’s just him and Rhodey. 

Rhodey’s chin quivers. He puts a damp hand to his face for a moment and kind of shudders. “God, Tony. I’ve been so scared. I didn’t know what he was doing to you. No one would tell me anything.”

“Daddy good,” Tony says.

The hand drops away and Rhodey looks at him in pure disbelief. “Tony, you can’t seriously believe that. I mean… _look_ at you.” They both look down at Tony’s body. He’s completely hairless except for the hair on the top of his head – a couple weeks after Tony started being a baby the Soldier smeared some cream all over him that removed his hair, and then it never grew back – and the muscles in his arms and legs look pathetically weak from lack of use.

“He loves me,” Tony whispers. It’s not a defense, just simple fact.

Rhodey opens his mouth and then closes it. He gives Tony a long, searching look. Then, finally, he says, “I won’t argue that with you because I know you believe it. But what he did to you isn’t right. You can’t tell me that you wanted this. For god’s sake, you can’t even control when you go to the bathroom!” He sounds horrified, and Tony suddenly realizes he’s peeing right there in the shower with Rhodey and didn’t even realize it. He flushes with shame.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I just – _I’m_ sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

Tony eyes him, seeing the sincerity in Rhodey’s face. Suddenly he realizes that his earlier thoughts about how no one ever came for him are wrong. Because Rhodey never stopped searching while Tony was in Afghanistan, and he was there at the end when Tony couldn’t go on any longer. Rhodey is the best friend that Tony has ever had, and it’s for that reason that Tony clumsily grabs his hand and holds on.

“I don’t wanna be here,” he says, seizing his chance. He keeps his voice quiet so that no one else will be able to hear over the water. “I want to be with Daddy and my Soldier. I hate it here.”

“You’re not thinking straight, Tones. They’ve brainwashed you.”

“Maybe they did,” Tony admits. “But I don’t care. I hated it at first. I didn’t want to be like this. But Rhodey, he loves me. When I’m bad he punishes me, but then it’s over. It doesn’t drag on for months. No one holds one incident against me forever. Do you know what I have to do to be good for Da – for Steve? This.” He waves his free hand at his body. “I have to let him care for me and love me. That’s literally all he wants from me. He wants me to be good. I want that too.” It’s more words all at once than Tony’s spoken for years, and he’s panting a little at the end of it.

“But you’re a prisoner. He’s forcing you to –”

“Please.” Tony’s voice goes all shaky. “I just want to go home. I want my daddy. SHIELD hates me. You know they do. I’m not useful anymore.”

“Then you can come with me. I’ll take care of you,” Rhodey says. His eyes are wet, and not from the shower.

“Not like this. Not the way I want. And SHIELD will never stop harassing me. They want me to be Iron Man again. I can’t fight them on this forever.” It’s a blow to what’s left of his pride to admit it, but it’s the truth. Daddy has taught him to be good, and Tony craves praise now like the alcohol he used to covet. Without Daddy, sooner or later he’ll give in to SHIELD just to hear someone say he’s done what they wanted. And that will be empty praise, but Tony will suck it up like a dying man anyway.

He’ll push himself until there’s nothing left. It’s the route he was on before. It’s what SHIELD wants. They want to squeeze every last drop out of him while they can, and then they’ll leave what’s left to rot in solitude. Hot tears start sliding down Tony’s cheeks, though they’re quickly washed away by the water. He squeezes Rhodey’s hand, begging for him to understand.

“I’d protect you from them,” Rhodey says, not quite pleading but close. “I’ve been looking into rehabilitation. There are some excellent programs out there.”

“I don’t want to be a burden on you.”

“You’re my best friend! You’ll never be a burden to me. Ever.”

That’s a blatant lie, even if Tony can tell Rhodey believes it in the moment. Even if Tony made the decision to be rehabilitated, it’ll be months before he can walk and feed himself again. He’s not sure he’ll ever escape his little headspace entirely; Daddy might have forced it on him initially, but the truth is that the headspace came far too easily to not be natural. And he can’t ask Rhodey to take on that role for him. Rhodey would do it in a heartbeat, but he would never find the kind of pleasure in it that Daddy does.

“Rhodey, please,” Tony whispers. And then he doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t say that he could easily sway the war against Daddy in SHIELD’s favor if he wanted to, because he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t say that he’s so _fucking_ tired of the whole world wanting to lean on him when it’s convenient, and leaving him in the dust when it’s not, because Rhodey already knows that. He doesn’t say that he hates and loves Daddy in equal measures but that he would turn himself inside out to make Daddy happy, because that’s something for only Tony (and maybe the Soldier) to know.

He just looks at Rhodey, pleading with his eyes for Rhodey to understand. He doesn’t want to stay here. The thought of going through rehabilitation and trying to carve out a new place in the world – or worse, being forced into the restrictive one he used to occupy – makes him feel like he’s suffocating. Even the chance to be Iron Man again isn’t worth it. 

All he wants, more than anything else in the world, is to be loved. A hug from Daddy will suffice.

“You said he punishes you,” Rhodey says. His face crumbles, and Tony knows he’s winning.

“He does. And… and I hate it. It’s awful.” Tony will never tell him the truth about that: Daddy’s never really hurt him beyond a spanking, but the humiliation of it all is enough to make Rhodey lose it. And he can’t put voice to those anyway even if he wanted to; he can’t sit here in a cold shower and tell Rhodey that hundreds of people have seen his soiled diapers changed, or that all of those people have also seen him spanked until he was bawling, or any of the other creative punishments that Daddy has come up with.

Rhodey shakes his head. “Then how can you want to go back to that?”

“Because he tells me I’m good,” Tony says, and it’s pathetic and disgusting and he knows that, but at the heart of it he needs it. He needs that from Daddy, and no one else will suffice. “Please tell him where I am. I want my daddy.” The tears come on again and Tony cracks, starting to sob. 

“Fuck, Tony.” Rhodey switches off the water, at last noticing that it’s long gone cold, and hauls him into a hug. Tony clings to him and wails like he hasn’t allowed himself to do since being captured by SHIELD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be no update next week, as I'll be on vacation at my parent's house.


	4. Chapter 4

Things get a little better after that because Rhodey is adamant about sticking around. He’s not allowed to take Tony home – Tony still isn’t allowed to leave his room, never mind the building where he's being kept – but he comes in every day and spends at least four or five hours with Tony. The nursing staff seem appropriately terrified of Rhodey so now Tony’s diapers get changed every five hours, which is at least a step up from what it was before.

Five days after Rhodey first comes to visit, Tony wakes up to the feel of the bed shaking underneath him. At first he thinks it’s Rhodey jiggling the bed as a joke, but then he actually lifts his head and sees that the floor and the walls are shaking too. Something explodes outside his door, close enough that a dent appears in the metal, and then comes the sound of gunfire. Tony bites back a whimper and scrambles off the bed, huddling into the corner.

This is just like the office all over again. There’s nowhere to hide – his room has no windows (he can only tell whether it’s night or day when they shut and turn the lights off) and the bed frame is built so that Tony can’t even fit his hand under the bed, never mind his whole body, and there’s no other furniture to hide behind – so all he can do is wait to see what’s going to happen.

And then the door is kicked open. 

The Winter Soldier stalks inside. He’s wearing his full uniform, which Tony doesn’t see very often because he only puts that on when Daddy sends him out for a mission and most of the time the Soldier’s mission is protecting Tony. His eyes are cold and intent above his mask as he sweeps the room, quickly locating Tony. They stare at each other for a handful of seconds.

Then the Soldier moves, tucking his gun back into the holster on his hip. He pulls a small case out of his left pocket and opens it to reveal a syringe. He takes a step towards Tony, and it’s fortunate that Tony doesn’t have the strength to throw himself at the Soldier, because throwing yourself at someone who is holding a needle is probably a bad idea. Instead, he bursts into tears. 

“Is D-Daddy m-mad?” he asks between sobs.

The Soldier stops and cocks his head, as though re-assessing the situation, and then he flexes his hands. Tony takes it as an invitation and immediately lifts his arms in a silent request to be picked up. It takes the Soldier a moment to move; he moves closer, but slowly, kneeling down on the floor beside Tony. Tony sobs as he makes first contact with the leather, wrapping his shaking hands around the Soldier’s neck.

“малыш,” the Soldier says. It’s a familiar nickname, though Tony’s not quite sure what it means. The Soldier shifts around him, putting the syringe away. Then he slides both arms until Tony’s bottom and goes to stand.

Tony winces, whimpering, at the pressure against his bottom. It _hurts_. Even though the nurses have been changing him more regularly, his flesh is still red and raw. The Soldier goes very still when Tony whimpers and looks at him closely, eyes flicking down Tony’s body. Then he moves his hands, sliding them up under Tony’s armpits instead. He lifts Tony onto his hip, wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist to support him.

“Steve,” he says.

“Daddy,” Tony whispers in agreement, tears still running down his face. He hides his face in the Soldier’s shoulder, relishing the feeling of being carried again. He’s amazed by how much he missed this. 

The Soldier shifts his weight to his flesh arm and draws his gun with his metal hand. He strides towards the door and cautiously shoulders his way out, protecting Tony with the curve of his body. Tony can’t help peeking and feels sick at the sight of the bodies sprawled all over the ground. Not to mention the blood: there is _so much_ of it, splattered across the walls and equipment.

Oh god. Tony hasn’t seen this kind of carnage in years. Daddy keeps him well insulated from any violence. He turns his face back and resolutely doesn’t look at the Soldier walks through the room and out into the hallway. Once or twice the Soldier fires his gun and Tony hears screaming, but he pushes aside his curiosity and tightens his grip on the Soldier.

They walk for maybe three minutes before the Soldier stops and Tony starts to hear voices. His head snaps up when he hears a very familiar voice. The Soldier steps into a hall of some kind, maybe a cafeteria going by the long tables. Dozens of kneeling SHIELD agents line the room, but they’re outnumbered by far: there’s at least two of Daddy’s agents for every SHIELD agent, all of them holding guns.

And in the middle of the room stands Daddy, expression set in that cold look he only wears when he’s truly furious. Nick Fury is standing about ten feet away, not kneeling, but glaring at Daddy. Fear and nerves coil in Tony’s belly. Maybe Daddy is angry at him. Maybe he’s here to finish punishing Tony before leaving him behind. Daddy does like to finish what he starts, so maybe –

But then Daddy looks up and sees Tony, and his whole face changes into a look of relief. “Tony!”

“Daddy!” Tony cries, struggling in the Soldier’s grip. It does no good, of course. He remains trapped as the Soldier enters the room, striding over to Daddy. Daddy looks him over, much as the Soldier did, and then glances at the Soldier. They stare at each other in silent conversation before Daddy nods and reaches out for Tony.

It feels _so good_ to be passed into Daddy’s arms. Tony immediately begins bawling as Daddy pulls him in close for a hug. Daddy cups the back of his head and rocks him back and forth, pressing kisses to Tony’s temple. He’s the only non-SHIELD agent in the room not holding a gun, which means he’s free to wrap both arms around Tony’s body and hold him so tightly it hurts. But Tony doesn’t care. He never wants Daddy to let go.

“You tried to take him from me, Fury,” Daddy says after several seconds. There’s a lot of rage in those eight words, but Tony is just grateful that the rage isn’t directed towards him.

“He’s not a possession,” Fury says immediately, He doesn’t sound scared or upset, even though Tony thinks he should.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Tony is _mine_.” Daddy’s voice goes all low and angry. “I didn’t mind letting SHIELD run around before since I knew you could never be a threat. But now you’ve crossed a line, and every person under your command is going to pay the price.”

“Stark!” Fury calls out, and Tony flinches.

“Don’t talk to him!” Daddy commands.

“Go fuck yourself, Rogers,” Fury sneers. “Stark! Stop this nonsense. Stop squalling and be a man! Be the hero you wanted to be!”

The words sink their claws into Tony and burn. He whimpers, ashamed, because he can’t do what Fury asks. He could no more hurt Daddy than he could stand up and walk of his own accord. And _he doesn’t even want to_. He just wants Fury to stop talking. In between bouts of sobs he tries to press both ears against Daddy’s chest at the same time to block out Fury’s voice, but that’s impossible and he doesn’t want to let go of Daddy long enough to drown the voice out –

“Deal with him,” Daddy orders. 

“Stark!” Fury screams. “Stark!”

Daddy’s hand stays on the back of Tony’s head, preventing him from looking up as Daddy carries him out of the room. Not that Tony wants to look up. He can perfectly imagine the expressions of disgust that would face him if he did. He’s seen them enough already.

They stop walking after a couple of minutes, and when Daddy speaks again he sounds far calmer. “It’s okay now, baby boy. You’re safe. Daddy’s here,” he croons, using that special voice that’s just for Tony.

The Soldier comes up behind them and says something in Russian. Daddy answers him. The conversation is brief, and then suddenly someone is trying to take him away from Daddy. Pure instinct kicks in, and Tony throws a _fit_. 

“No, Daddy! Please! I’ll be good!” he shrieks, clinging desperately to Daddy. He’s so terrified he’ll be left behind that he doesn’t even care that he’ll be punished for fighting the hands on him. “Please!”

“Hey, whoa. It’s okay. Tony, hey, listen to me. Daddy’s right here. I’m right here,” Daddy says, hugging him tightly. “Shh. Let Bucky change your diaper, okay? He said you were in pain when he picked you up earlier. I’m going to be here the whole time.”

Tony shakes his head, sobbing and moaning. He grabs on tighter when the Soldier reaches for his pants, but the Soldier just tears them off rather than move Tony anymore than necessary. Daddy takes hold of Tony’s hands and pries them away, flipping Tony around, but then he wraps both arms around Tony’s waist. Tony puts his hands over Daddy’s, shaking from head to toe, heart racing. If he can’t see Daddy, Daddy might disappear.

The Soldier’s hands are very gentle as he removes the soiled diaper. His eyes go ice cold as he takes in the state of Tony’s thighs, genitals and bottoms. Daddy’s grip tightens a little on Tony when he sees it too but he doesn’t speak, and the Soldier seems to know what to do without being told. He cleans Tony up - and oh, that _burns_ in a way Tony's not anticipating, the wipes burning his skin, and he cries even more - and gets him into a new diaper.

Daddy says something in Russian, sounding very angry. The Soldier nods at him and wipes his hands, getting up. He goes to the door of the room and opens it, repeating the instructions to whoever is stationed out there. Tony turns his head with a sob, trying to flip back over so he can cuddle into Daddy. This time, Daddy lets him, but he keeps Tony far enough away so that he can look into Tony's face.

"Were they awful to you, my darling?" he asks, sounding so warm and sympathetic that Tony's heart twists. Daddy looks much older than he did the last time Tony saw him, as though, in spite of the serum, the last few weeks have aged him irreparably. 

"Th-they w-wanted m-m-me to b-be b-big," Tony stutters out between sobs. The strength it takes to speak is beyond him after that, and even though Daddy probes him with more questions, Tony can't answer them.

Finally, Daddy gives up and brings him in close for another cuddle. "It's okay, Tony. I'll never let anyone take you away again."

"Daddy," Tony whispers, clinging to him with all of his remaining strength. He wants to apologize. He wants to tell Daddy that he fought against the SHIELD agents in the only way he knew how. He wants to say that he never wanted to be here, and that he missed Daddy terribly during his imprisonment. But the words lock up in his throat and all that comes out are more sobs. 

Daddy guides Tony's head down to his shoulder and presses it there until Tony gets the hint. He cries, still shaking, until pure exhaustion leaves him lax in Daddy's arms. Tears still slide down his face, but he lacks the energy to do anything more than weakly hold onto Daddy. Daddy rubs his back and presses a kiss to his temple every once in a while, but is otherwise distracted by the conversation he's having with the Soldier.

They must think Tony has fallen asleep, because then Daddy says in English, "We'll make them all pay. I don't care what it takes. They took Tony from me."

"It is done, sir," someone new says. Tony's too exhausted to tense. Besides, he's not frightened anymore. Daddy will care of everything.

"Good. I'm leaving you here to take care of the rest and taking Tony back home. He's beside himself. I'll be lucky if SHIELD hasn't undone months of training." Daddy stands, effortlessly shifting Tony's weight in his arms. Tony whimpers a little, sliding his thumb into his mouth, and feels another kiss to the top of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Малыш = little one (Russian)


	5. Chapter 5

It’s just past 8am when Steve pushes open the door to the nursery. The light from the hallway falls across the crib, illuminating the sweet little baby waiting for him. Tony’s sound asleep, laying on his right side with his hand inches away from his mouth, like he fell asleep sucking his thumb. Probably did. As Steve opens the door fully, the man sitting beside the crib straightens up.

“How is he?” Steve asks in Russian.

“It was a bad night,” Bucky says, also in Russian. Not that any of the nights over the past week have been good; Tony’s taken to waking up screaming every couple of hours, convinced that he’s back with SHIELD, and the only thing that soothes him is Steve. Even Bucky’s presence isn’t enough to stop the fits. 

While it’s not exactly how Steve imagined the bond between him and Tony being cemented, he can’t argue with results. His fear that SHIELD’s actions would’ve set Tony back proved to be unfounded. If anything, Tony has regressed even further. It’s pretty difficult to quantify, but Steve’s best guess would set Tony’s headspace at around six to eight months instead of over a year old like before.

Not ideal, but Steve won’t complain. He’s obsessed with the way it feels when Tony reaches for him, eyes wide and wet, and how the baby relaxes when he’s in Steve’s arms. His goal of becoming Tony’s whole world is nearly within reach, and it’s a satisfying feeling. Far better than taking down super villains or SHIELD or ruling the world is the way that Tony Stark looks at him now.

“It’s time for him to be up.” Steve unlatches the crib, lowering the side. In the beginning, they had to strap Tony down to make him stay in the crib. Now when they put him to bed, unless he’s sick or otherwise fussy, he just lays down, all sweet and docile, and goes right to sleep. It’s incredible.

“Hey baby,” he says quietly, putting a hand to Tony’s cheek. “Wake up.”

Tony’s eyelashes flutter a couple of times before he blearily looks up at Steve. Steve smiles at him and slides his hands under Tony’s arms, lifting the baby out of the crib. Tony remains half asleep during the diaper change – he barely fusses now, only flinching when Steve carefully wipes the last of his rash – and allows himself to be changed into a onesie. Steve snaps the crotch shut and taps his nose.

“Soldier is going to give you a bottle,” he tells the baby. “By the time you’re done, Daddy will be back and we’ll play for a little while, okay?”

A bit of a pout forms on Tony’s lips and he grabs for Steve’s hand, squeezing it with both of his. Steve’s heart melts. He finds he almost prefers this version of Tony: almost non-verbal, communicating with tears and smiles and frowns and the rare word, instead of how Tony was before. It’s definitely a vast improvement over the man who would talk and talk without ever saying anything meaningful. 

“Sa-da,” Tony whispers, which is his new word for Soldier, eyes big and glassy. It took them a bit to figure that one out.

“That’s right, my smart boy. Your Soldier will stay with you the whole time,” Steve murmurs, gently tugging his hand free. They’ve discovered that Tony can’t be left alone. He either goes into a screaming fit of hysteria or into some kind of catatonic state. Steve’s going to have to think up some new punishments for when Tony inevitably disobeys or acts up; he can’t very well leave Tony alone in the cell if Tony won’t learn anything from it. That’s not the way to teach a child a lesson. 

He leaves the nursery, feeling Tony’s eyes on him until the door shuts, and immediately lets the smile fade. He sets out with purpose, heading for his office. It’s been gutted since Tony was kidnapped and re-built from the ground up with new security (the people who used to do security have been disposed of, because, after watching the footage where a struggling Tony was knocked unconscious and carried out of the building, Steve had to take his anger out on someone).

As expected, Coulson is there waiting for him. “Good morning, Sir,” he says with a respectful nod.

“Coulson. How is your project going?”

“It’s proceeding well, I think. I brought him along so that you could see, if you like.”

Steve considers and then nods. Coulson moves to the door and opens it. Romanov wheels Barton in because he can’t walk on his own yet. He’s in a similar state of restraints to what Tony used to have to wear, though Steve’s pleased to see he’s progressed: his legs are still tied, of course, but his arms are no longer strapped to his chest. Instead, he’s wearing mittens that cover his hands and extend to his shoulders. He looks up at Steve, eyes embarrassed above the pacifier gag.

This too is progress. Barton used to rage. Now he’s just resigned and embarrassed. Steve remembers the stages well. In time, Barton will come to enjoy it the way that Tony does.

“Hello Clint,” he says, deliberately making his voice overly sweet and babyish. “How’s Phil’s big man today, hmm? Are you learning how to use diapers like a good boy?”

Barton blushes so fiercely that even the tips of his ears turn red. He hates it, of course. They all do. It’s humiliating, but it’s also a very effective tool for teaching them their place. The public diaper changes went a long way towards breaking Tony’s spirit. Eventually, Steve knows, Barton may be upgraded to pull-ups, but not Tony. Tony will stay Steve’s sweet little baby forever.

Literally, if the serum that Steve has some scientists working on pans out, and, since it will mean their death if they can’t figure it out, Steve thinks they will.

“He’s doing good,” Coulson says, sounding like a proud daddy. “I don’t have to use laxatives anymore. He’ll go in the diaper on his own.”

Steve nods. “Definitely a step in the right direction. You’re doing well, Coulson. Continue.”

Coulson takes it as the dismissal it is and makes a motion to Romanov. She wheels the stroller back out into the hallway. Coulson turns back to Steve. “Have you made a decision on Rhodes, sir?”

“Ah, Rhodes.” Steve links his hands behinds his back and strolls over to the window. He’s thought long and hard over what to do with Tony’s best friend. Like Potts, Rhodes is an outlier. Steve can’t have him ever trying to take Tony away, but Steve wouldn’t put it past Rhodes to spend years waiting for the right opportunity to get Tony away from both Steve and SHIELD.

However, Rhodes would die to protect Tony, and that kind of loyalty doesn’t come easily, so Steve hesitates to just kill him – not to mention, it would devastate Tony when he eventually found out. And while Rhodes will never be loyal to Steve, he’ll _always_ be loyal to Tony. That’s valuable. Especially since Tony’s made his choice very clear: he wants to be with Steve. It’ll be tough, require delicate handling, but perhaps through Tony, Steve can have another soldier to depend on in Rhodes.

“We’ll keep him here for now, under full time surveillance,” Steve says finally. Rhodes made the choice to give up his life when he returned with them. He’s a prisoner now. “Put him to work training recruits. He might as well do something positive with his time.”

“He’s asking about Tony,” Coulson says cautiously.

“Tell him nothing,” Steve commands. “He’s under the same orders as Potts. Anyone who tells him anything about Tony answers directly to me.”

“Yes sir,” Coulson says, having expected nothing less. He nods to Steve and slips out of the room. Steve hears him cooing to Barton, complimenting the toddler on being such a good boy. Steve smirks to himself, envisioning the embarrassed flush on Barton’s face combined with the confused smile that will swiftly turn horrified when Barton realizes he’s enjoying the praise. Tony used to react like that.

He handles a few administrative things and then departs his office, heading back to the nursery. He nudges the door open and peeks inside. Tony is sitting on the floor stacking blocks. His cute little face is creased in concentration. Bucky is sitting in the rocking chair, quietly observing; he loves watching Tony play, especially now. Steve smiles to himself and steps inside.

“What’s my baby boy up to?” he asks. Tony’s head snaps up.

“Dada!” he squeals, rocking back and forth. He doesn’t try to walk or crawl anymore, but a couple times he’s scooted his bottom across the floor if he’s really intent on something. This morning, he just lifts his arms and makes excited grabby hands at Steve.

Grinning –Tony is so adorable with that cute smile and big brown eyes! – Steve easily scoops him up and inhales the sweet scent of baby powder and shampoo. God he loves this. He _loves_ having Tony like this, soft and unguarded and content, dependent entirely on Steve for everything. Nothing will ever hurt him or Bucky again, Steve will make sure of that.

“My sweet boys,” Steve murmurs, squeezing Tony close and setting a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, including them both in his satisfied gaze. His perfect, entirely Steve’s, boys.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](http://tsuki-chibi.tumblr.com/).


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